“Maybe not,” Jared replied. “I think if we’re quiet and stay out of sight, they’ll lose interest and wander off in search of easier food.”
“You really think so?”
“Yes. Now, why don’t we go to the back of the shop and all have a rest? I’m sure things will look better in the morning.”
“Thank you, Jared,” Eleanor replied. “You’ve been a real help today.”
“No problem.”
As Eleanor turned to walk away, he said, “Do you want to talk about Harold?” She paused, chin stiff and shoulders braced. When she didn’t respond, he added, “I mean, I’m here if you want to talk about it.”
“I don’t. Thank you for your concern.”
“What about Lucy?”
“What about her?”
Jared paused, his mouth agape. “She just lost her father, Eleanor. Don’t you think you should comfort her?”
Eleanor’s eyes narrowed. “I will take care of my daughter as I see fit, Mr. Burns.”
Lucy’s head snapped up at these words, and she stared at her mother’s stern features with something akin to hatred. Her mother had never cared about her. Not like Daddy had. She never told Lucy she loved her or held her when she cried. She never even tucked her in at night. Mommy doesn’t care about me. She doesn’t love me.
Eleanor marched toward Lucy with a stiff gait. Behind her, Jared stood stock still, his expression unreadable. He watched as she gathered Lucy into her arms and marched to the back, disappearing into the restroom.
Lucy fought for a second when her mother’s hands plucked her from the floor. Then all resistance melted away beneath the burgeoning sorrow in her heart. Like poison ivy, its roots spread and took hold. Tendrils sprouted and curled around her insides, sharp-edged leaves draining blood through a thousand tiny cuts.
She felt cold tiles beneath her legs and looked around. They were in a bathroom, Mr. Burn’s bathroom. Eleanor bustled around, first using the toilet before insisting that Lucy did too. Afterward, she washed her hands and face before wetting a towel and beckoning Lucy closer. “Come here, child. Now stand still.”
“Yes, Mommy.” With mechanical steps, Lucy closed the distance.
Eleanor began rubbing the dirt off her face and hands. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
Lucy did not reply. Nor did she cry again. She was all cried out for the moment.
The cloth traveled across her dress, rubbing at patches of grime before moving to her shoes. “Look at your clothes. For heaven’s sake, Lucy. Can’t you take care of anything at all?”
“What does it matter?” The words burst forth in a flood of bile. “He’s dead. Daddy’s dead, and it’s all your fault!”
Eleanor gasped and rocked back on her heels. “My fault? How on earth is it my fault?”
“You shouldn’t have been so mean to him. You’re always so ugly to him, to us. Maybe if you were nicer…”
“How dare you speak to me like that?”
“I don’t care!” These last three words escaped in a high-pitched shriek.
Eleanor’s hand snaked out and delivered a stinging slap to her cheek. Lucy raised a hand to the spot, her teeth biting on her lower lip to keep from crying out. The skin burned, but it was nothing compared to the hurt inside. She watched through brimming eyes as her mother jumped to her feet.
“You stupid child. You know nothing. The reason your father got sick is in that car. He stopped to pick up his hussy first.” A wild laugh escaped Eleanor’s lips. “Yes, don’t think I didn’t notice she was in there with him. She’s the reason he was late, and she’s the reason he got sick. Serves him right, putting her before his wife and child.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Then let me explain, sweetheart.” Eleanor hunched down until she was eye-level to Lucy and pronounced each word with deliberate care. “Your father didn’t love us. He loved another woman. Instead of coming to save us, he went to her instead.”
“No,” Lucy mumbled as confusion set in.
“Yes. She was first. We were last. Understand?”
“No,” Lucy repeated, shaking her head.
“So forget about your father. He was anything but an angel.” Eleanor jabbed a sharp finger at Lucy. “And think twice about the way you speak to me. I’m all you have now.”
“I hate you!” These were the most potent words Lucy knew. The only way to express the bottled up hurt and anger swirling inside her.
Eleanor straightened up so swiftly it made Lucy’s head swim. “That makes two of us, sweetheart. If it weren’t for you, I’d never have married your cheating lout of a father. I wish to God you were never born.”
With those parting words, she stormed out of the restroom. This left Lucy in a shivering puddle on the floor. She bit her fist and shook her head in denial. “No, no, no, no. no.”
Why was her father late? How did he get sick? Who was the lady in the car with him? Lucy didn’t know what the word hussy meant, but she knew it was a bad word. She also knew it was a word her mother used a lot when she fought with Daddy. Did he really leave them for last? Was this other woman more important to him? Didn’t you love me, Daddy?
Lucy lay on the cold floor for what felt like forever, torn between sadness and grief. Her mind refused to comprehend all that had happened, all that she had lost. It was too much, so she merely lay there and refused to move. The sun crept across the floor, inching its way up the wall. Night was falling, and still, she didn’t move.
A loud crash from inside the shop sounded, and Lucy bolted upright. “Mommy?”
No answer except for a loud grunt.
She got to her feet, each movement slow and careful.
“Mr. Burns?”
Still no answer.
She inched across the floor.
Dread flowed through her veins like syrup.
What if the monsters got inside?
She peered around the corner but saw nothing at first, until her mother stormed toward her, mouth twisted in a snarl. Lucy gasped and backed away, slamming the door shut. She’s a monster!
Eleanor banged on the door, and Lucy shrieked. “Mommy, no. Don’t eat me, please.”
“Lucy? What’s this nonsense? I’m not going to eat you. Open up.” The handle on the door twisted, and Lucy flinched. Her mother entered the bathroom with a shake of her head. “I don’t have time for this. Mr. Burns is sick. Are you going to help me or not?”
“M…Mr. Burns?”
“Yes, Mr. Burns. Now get up, and see if you can find something to use for a pillow.”
With a shaky nod, Lucy ran into the shop. She searched with feverish haste while Eleanor wet another towel. She found a roll of mutton cloth and dragged it toward the figure of Mr. Burns. He lay on the ground, shaking and sweating, his skin an awful gray color.
“What’s wrong with him?” Lucy asked.
“I don’t know. It must be his wound. It’s infected.”
Lucy watched as her mother unwound the bandage and almost got sick when she saw the gaping black hole. It smelled. Her nostrils twitched. The smell reminded her of something. Her brain clicked on the source. Mr. Burn’s smelled like the monsters did. “Is he one of them now?”
Her mother’s head snapped up. “What? One of them? Don’t be ridiculous, Lucy. He’s just hurt that’s all.”
Lucy nodded, a little reassured. Her mother knew better than she did. The adults always did.
“Where are the other monsters?” she asked, her eyes drifting toward the front of the shop. Where before, sick people had clamored to come in, now it was empty. The barricades had been removed, and the chain unlatched.
Eleanor waved it off. “Jared was right. After a while, they wandered off when they didn’t see or hear anything. We were about to check outside when he fell ill. Here, sponge his forehead. He’s burning up.”
Lucy took the wet cloth her mother handed her and placed it on Mr. Burn’s hot skin. He mumbled but didn’t wake up. “What…what if he dies?”
>
Her mother finished washing the wound and wrapped it up again before she sat back on her haunches. “Honestly? I don’t know, sweetheart.”
It was the first time Lucy had ever seen her mother look scared. “Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“I…I’m sorry about what I said before. I don’t hate you.”
Eleanor sighed and wiped a bloody hand across her forehead. It left a smear of crimson behind, and Lucy hated to see it there. “No, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
Lucy looked at her hands and nodded. “It’s okay.”
She was startled when she felt soft fingertips brushing her cheek and looked up into her mother’s earnest blue eyes. “No, Lucy. It’s not okay. I’m not sorry you were born. I love you more than anything in the whole world. It’s just…”
“Yes?”
“I’ve been lonely for so long. Lonely and angry and bitter. You’re father and I were never meant to be. We were too young to get married. Young and stupid.”
“But Daddy loves you.” Lucy’s brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to understand what her mother meant.
Eleanor shook her head. “Maybe he did, sweetheart, once, but I was never enough. You, though. You were everything to him, and I guess I got a little jealous.”
Lucy’s shoulders began to shake with repressed emotion, and Eleanor opened her arms. With a sob, she crawled onto her mother’s lap, finally getting the love she craved. “I miss him. I miss Daddy. He tried…he tried to hurt me. Why did he do that?”
Eleanor’s arms enfolded her and held her while she cried, rocking back and forth. “It’s all right, sweetheart. Your father was sick. He didn’t want to hurt you. Not really. The illness made him do it.”
Lucy bawled into her mother’s breast, her nostrils filled with the scent of lavender. “Why?”
“I don’t know, sweetie. I don’t know, but I’m still here, and I’ll take care of you. I promise.” Her mother smoothed a soft hand over her hair. “I won’t let anything hurt you ever again.”
Lucy’s Chance - Chapter 6
For a long time, Lucy sat on her mother’s lap. She drew on Eleanor’s strength and soaked up the comfort and love she offered like a dry sponge thrown into a bucket of water. It was only when her mother stiffened that Lucy looked up. “What’s wrong?”
“Jared. He’s not breathing.”
Lucy twisted around to gaze at Mr. Burns with new terror in her heart. He lay still, his chest unmoving. A blue tinge surrounded his lips.
“Oh, my,” Eleanor gasped as she hurriedly set Lucy aside.
Lucy scrambled backward and watched as her mother fussed over Mr. Burns. She slapped his cheeks, pressed on his chest, and even blew air into his lungs. Nothing helped. He didn’t move. After a minute, she shook her head. “It’s too late. I can’t help him.”
“He’s dead?” Lucy didn’t want to believe it. She’d seen so much death already that she didn’t want to see any more. In one day, she’d experienced a lifetime of horror, and her mind struggled to understand the scope of it all.
“Yes, I’m sorry, sweetheart. You shouldn’t have to see this. You shouldn’t even be here.”
Lucy shook her head, wordless.
Eleanor dusted her hands on her skirt and rose to her feet. She looked outside. The sun had set and night had fallen. It rendered the shop in hues of blue, black, and gray. Silver moonlight found its way through the dirt-streaked windows. It cast a ghostly sheen on her face. “It’s late. I don’t think it’s wise to leave in the dark. We don’t know what’s out there.”
“We’re staying here? With Mr. Burns and him?” Lucy pointed a trembling figure at the tarp-covered corpse of the Monster Man.
“We don’t have a choice, sweetie. We can’t leave until morning.”
Inside Lucy’s chest, a well of resistance bubbled up. Every scary story she’d ever heard on the playground came back to bother her. “But…I don’t want to stay here with them. What if they wake up and try to eat us? What if their ghosts haunt us while we sleep?”
Eleanor sighed. “There are no such things as ghosts, sweetie, and dead men don’t come back to life.”
Lucy shook her head. “No, we can’t stay here with them.”
Eleanor raised a calming hand. “I’ll tell you what. If it’s safe outside, I’ll take the bodies out. Okay? Then it’s just you and me in here until morning.”
Lucy grasped at this straw of comfort, slim though it was. Anything not to sleep in the dark next to the dead Mr. Burns and Monster Man. “Okay.”
Eleanor patted Mr. Burn’s pockets until she found the key and checked outside while Lucy watched. “Looks clear enough. I think it’s all right, but I want you to stay in the back just the same.”
Lucy obeyed and picked a secluded spot further away. With her eyes fixed on her mother, she waited as Eleanor dragged Monster Man across the floor by his feet. He must have been heavy because she struggled, but in the end, she got him to the exit. After a quick look around, she opened the door and heaved the body outside. With her fist in her mouth, Lucy waited until her mother was safely back inside. Only then did she dare to breathe again.
“One down,” Eleanor said as she closed the door behind her. “One more to go.”
Her feet carried her to Mr. Burns side, and she bent down to grasp his ankles. As she touched him, he twitched. A low moan eased from between his lips, and she gasped. “Jared?”
His eyelids fluttered open and stared at the ceiling. He rolled over and pushed himself upright while a shocked Eleanor watched with an expression of stunned amazement. Amazement that gave way to happiness. She reached out to him. “Jared, you’re alive. I can’t believe it.”
But to Lucy, it felt wrong. Mr. Burns didn’t speak, and his movements were strange, stiff and stilted. “No. Don’t touch him, Mommy. Don’t.”
“It’s okay, Lucy. It’s just Mr. Burns.” With a brilliant smile, Eleanor reached out. Jared’s head swung toward her, drawn by her words and movement. His lips parted, and a strangled growl caused her to pause in confusion.
Her expression changed from joy to fear when he charged. His hulking body flung itself at her, and she shrieked and dove aside. He crashed to the floor but got up quickly to charge again.
“Jared, no. What are you doing? This isn’t you, you’re not like them.” She ducked again when he reached for her and scurried behind a steel table.
He stalked around the intrusive barrier; his head was dropped low with an animal grimace on his lips. Like a crab, Eleanor moved sideways to keep out of his reach. Mr. Burns swiped at her, and she shrieked.
Lucy let go of a choked sob as she watched. “Mommy.”
Eleanor’s head swung from the crazed Jared to Lucy, and she ordered in urgent tones. “Lucy, hide. You have to hide.”
“No, I won’t leave you.”
“Lucy, please,” Eleanor begged. “I can’t protect you. He’s stronger than me.”
Monster Mr. Burns edged around the table while she spoke, closing in for the kill. Lucy jumped to her feet, her knees trembling so hard they knocked together. “Mommy, watch out!”
Mr. Burns lunged for Eleanor and caught her wrist. In a single fluid movement, he raised her arm to his mouth and bit down. His teeth sank into her flesh, blood spurting from the wound. He ripped his head to the side. Red meat and strings of sinew tore loose, flapping between his lips.
“Mommy, no.” Lucy shook her head in denial. It wasn’t happening. It wasn’t. It was all a mistake.
Eleanor screamed, long and hard. She reached toward Lucy with one hand while the other tugged against Mr. Burn’s iron grip. He didn’t let go, wouldn’t let go. His head bobbed, and he tore loose another hunk of flesh. Tears streamed down Eleanor’s face. “Please, Lucy. You have to hide before he finds you. Run!”
“I won’t leave you.” Refusing to listen to her her mother’s commands, Lucy ran toward her, thinking only to help. She dove at Mr. Burns and tackled him around the w
aist. He growled and reached for her. His fingers brushed her hair, yanking out a few strands.
“Leave her alone,” Eleanor shouted and threw herself in between.
They all three went down in a tangle of arms and legs. An elbow hit Lucy on the temple, and she saw stars. A foot knocked the breath from her lungs. In the background, she heard her mother screaming. “Lucy, run. Hide. Please. Do it for me!”
Her mother’s desperate pleas broke through the fog, and Lucy crawled away on all fours. Her limbs moved of their own accord, spurred on by Eleanor’s continued begging. “Please, Lucy. I can’t watch you die. You have to live. Hide. Hide until someone comes to find you.”
Lucy sobbed as she crawled. She wanted to go back and help. She wanted to curl up into a little ball. She wanted to die. She wanted…she wanted to live.
Her scurried movements carried her to the back wall where a rusty grate covered an old hole where an aircon unit used to be. Her fingertips hooked into the metal, and she pulled. The steel groaned but refused to move. She pulled harder, one foot braced against the wall. She’d lost a shoe somewhere, and her socked toes dug into the concrete. The lid came free with a rusty screech.
Lucy crawled into the small space and pulled the grate back into place. There she curled into a fetal position. Ragged sobs sawed through her chest, loud and strong. It didn’t drown out the sounds of her mother’s agony, though. Nothing could.
Raw screams of pain tore through the shop, torn from her mother’s lips as Jared dove into her soft flesh. His teeth ripped, and his fingers dug. Lucy heard it all, though she couldn’t see it in the darkness. Her mother and Mr. Burns formed one monstrous shadow, twisting and churning.
In a last attempt to hold onto her mother, Lucy called out. “Mommy, Mommy.”
Eleanor heard and responded with the last of her strength as she fought against the demon tearing her limb from limb. Her one hand reached toward Lucy, a ray of moonlight illuminating her blood-spattered hand. The searching fingers found Lucy’s shoe and clutched it tightly. “Lucy!”
“Mommy!”
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 101
